ESTEE LAUDER COMPANIES INC

The company began in 1946 when Estée Lauder and her husband Joseph began producing cosmetics in New York City. They first carried only four products: Cleansing Oil, Skin Lotion, Super Rich All-purpose Creme, and Creme Pack. Two years later, in 1948 they established their first department store account with Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

Over the next 15 years, they expanded the range and continued to sell their products in the United States. In 1960, the company started its first international account in the London department store Harrods. The following year it opened an office in Hong Kong.

In 1964, they introduced Aramis, a line of fragrance and grooming products for men named after an exotic Turkish root originally used as an aphrodisiac. In 1967, Estée Lauder herself was named one of ten Outstanding Women in Business in the United States by business and financial editors. This was followed by a Spirit of Achievement Award from Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University in 1968. [ citation needed ] In that year, the company expanded again, opening Clinique, a dermatologist -guided (Dr. Norman Orentreich ), allergy -tested, fragrance-free cosmetic brand.

Estée Lauder's Clinique brand became the first women's cosmetic company to introduce a second line for men when, in 1976, they began a separate line called "Skin Supplies for Men", which continues to be sold at Clinique counters worldwide. In 1981, the company's products became available in the Soviet Union.

In the 1990s, brand acquisitions and licensing agreements contributed to explosive growth as the company transformed from a family-owned business to a publicly traded, family-controlled organization. The decade opened with the creation of Origins – the first wellness brand in U.S. department stores. The first licensing agreement for fragrances was with fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger in 1993, followed by Kiton, an Italian fashion house (1995), and with American fashion designer Donna Karan (1997).

Brand acquisitions began with an investment in the Toronto-based MAC Cosmetics in 1994, which the company then acquired in 1998. Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, designed by the celebrated makeup artist, was acquired in 1995, as was La Mer – along with the original recipe for its supreme luxury product, Crème de la Mer, containing the nutrient-rich Miracle Broth. The company ventured into its first hair care and holistic beauty brand with Aveda in 1997. The fragrance house Jo Malone London was acquired in 1999.

On November 16, 1995, the Estée Lauder Companies went public on the New York Stock Exchange at $26 a share ($6.50 on a post-split basis; equivalent to $50 and $10 in 2024 ).

Acquisitions and licensing continued in the 2000s as the Estée Lauder Companies bought a majority interest in the hair salon Bumble and bumble and completed its acquisition in 2006; an exclusive global licensing agreement was signed with fashion designer Michael Kors (2003). Designer Tom Ford began a project with the company and later an agreement was signed with him (2005) to develop and distribute fragrances and cosmetics under the Tom Ford Beauty brand.

On July 1, 2010, the company acquired Smashbox Beauty Cosmetics, Inc., a brand created in Smashbox Studios in Culver City, California, by brothers Dean and Davis Factor (as in Max ).

On October 28, 2011, Aramis and Designer Fragrances, a division of the Estée Lauder Companies Inc., and Tory Burch LLC announced the signing of a multiyear agreement for the exclusive worldwide license of the Tory Burch fragrance business. This partnership marked Tory Burch's first step into the beauty industry. The first Tory Burch fragrance products were introduced in 2013.

In 2012, the company launched AERIN Beauty, a luxury lifestyle beauty and fragrance brand inspired by the signature style of its founder, Aerin Lauder.

In 2014, the company acquired two insider beauty brands, RODIN olio lusso, a skincare brand known for its "Luxury Face Oil", and Le Labo, a fragrance and sensory lifestyle brand. Later that year, the company also made its first investment in India by buying a minority stake in Forest Essentials, a luxury cosmetics company specializing in Ayurvedic products. In 2015, the company acquired Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, a fragrance brand, and GLAMGLOW, a Hollywood skin care brand.

In 2016, the company acquired Becca Cosmetics, its first color cosmetic group acquisition since Smashbox in 2010. In November 2016, the company made its largest acquisition to date by acquiring California-based cosmetics company Too Faced for $1.45 billion.

In 2019, the company acquired Dr. Jart+. Founded in Korea in 2004, Dr. Jart+ pioneered the marketing of BB cream as a cosmetic.

In 2021, the company acquired Canadian-based Deciem Beauty Group Inc. In 2022, Estée Lauder opened a 300,000-square-foot (2.8-hectare) distribution center in Galgenen, Switzerland.

In November 2022, the company announced it was to acquire the designer fashion house Tom Ford in a deal worth $2.8bn, with Ford remaining as creative director until at least 2023.

In 2024, the company announced its partnership with Messika.

In June 2024, Estée Lauder completed the acquisition of DECIEM Beauty Group.

In October 2024, the company officially opened its Global Fragrance Atelier inside La Maison des Parfums in Paris, establishing an AI-enabled, advanced technology innovation hub dedicated to accelerating the development of its luxury and prestige fragrance portfolio.

In September 2025, the company appointed Ossama Ogla as general manager of its Middle East operations.

In December 2025, Estée Lauder announced that it has been taking minority stakes in beauty brands across China, Mexico and India such as The Ordinary. This is part of the company's strategy to target key markets in the Americas as well as emerging markets by targeting the growing middle class.

Response to the COVID-19 pandemic

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic the Estée Lauder Companies announced on August 20, 2020, a reduction in their workforce by 1,500 to 2,000 personnel worldwide, or about 3 percent of total employees. Most of the reductions will be support workers and store employees. The company also announce they would be closing approximately 10 to 15 percent of their stores, close in-store beauty counters, and focus more on digital operations.